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Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Vodacom has entered the premium smartphone market by extending its range of branded devices. The Vodacom Smart platinum 7 and Vodacom Smart ultra 7 launched earlier today. “With these exciting new devices, Vodacom is now able to offer devices, not only in the entry-level smartphone and tablet category, but also in the premium mobile class as well”, said Managing Executive, Product and Commercial Management, Zunaid Mahomed.

The Vodacom Smart platinum 7 is designed to meet the market requirement for a smartphone that encompasses the latest mobile technology from its 16MP main camera quality to boasting a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 600-series giving it optimal customer experience by delivering top class performance and speed on Vodacom’s fast and reliable LTE network. A successor to the Vodacom Smart ultra 6, the Vodacom Smart ultra 7 has been designed with features that deliver reliable and powerful performance for users who rarely put their smartphones down.

One of the biggest contributors to the uptake of smart devices and increasing data consumption is more affordable smart devices. Vodacom has sold 2.5 million Vodacom branded smart devices in the last FY. As at the end of March 2016, the number of active smart devices on the Vodacom network increased by 22% to 14.2 million. This was driven mainly by the sale of low cost Vodacom branded devices which account for 25.7% of the total device sales.

At the launch event, Zunaid Mahomed emphasised that while there are high growth prospects within the premium market, Vodacom is still committed to its promise of connecting more South Africans by continuing to provide affordable, high-quality smartphone devices. “This is seamlessly done through our wide network coverage and our integrated plans, which offer data bundles at competitive prices, enabling more and more people to connect to the internet”, added Zunaid.

The Vodafone Group first launched its own devices in 2006 to reduce the cost to its customers of owning the latest mobile technology, enabling access to well built, slim and sleek handsets on its fast and reliable mobile network.

2.5 million Vodacom branded devices sold in South Africa last FY, accounting for 25.7% of total device sales

Vodafone has sold 85 million devices in 10 years

Smart platinum 7 is the first premium LTE smartphone

Vodacom also launches the first Vodacom branded virtual reality headset.

“Our own branded smart range, partnered with our propositions and world-class network, is well positioned to provide the best mobile experience to our customers. Through Vodafone’s wealth of experience in creating devices over the last decade, we are now able to deliver great value experiences and the latest smartphone technology, without compromising on build quality,” says Davide Tacchino, Terminals Managing Executive.

In addition to the high-quality premium smartphones, Vodacom also unveiled a new range of mid-to-lower entry level smartphones in order to give customers more choice. These include the Smart prime 7 (entry level LTE) powered by Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 200-series processor, the Smart Mini 7 (mid-tier 3G), the Smart Kicka 2 and the Vodacom Smart tab 2 3G.

Keeping on trend with other products in this category, and as part of the launch offer, Vodacom will be selling its first virtual reality (VR) headset as a bundled accessory to the Smart platinum 7. The Vodafone Smart VR headset is comfortable and lightweight (260 grams) and delivers a fully immersive VR experience. All Vodacom branded devices come with a two year warranty and are available exclusively at all Vodacom stores nationwide.